Elevator position indicator system



Sept. 10, 1963 ELEVATOR POSITION INDICATOR SYSTEM Filed Sept. 25, 1958DOWN U Fig. I

'5 J2 ii WITNESSES C. SAVAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 3

INVENTOR Conwell Savage wmww ATTORNEY P 1963 c. SAVAGE 3,103,645

ELEVATOR POSITION INDICATOR SYSTEM Filed Sept. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2S stem of Patent 2 320 WithAddifions Shown in Heov Lines U3 L- L+4 -4 1.BUR FU' 69 [H467 SUL b6 Bb6 B ELEVATOR PUSlTibN INDICATUR SYSTEM ConwellSavage, New York, N.Y., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation,East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 25,1958, Ser. No. 763,240

4 Claims. (Cl. 340-21) This invention relates to positionindicators andit has particular relation to position indicators employed 'in elevatorsystems.

In various systems, it is a practiceto provide means for indicating at aremote point the position of a mobile device. tice to provide anelevator car position indicator for each elevator car at one or more ofthe floors of the structure served by the elevator cars to informprospective passengers of the location of the associated elevator car.Such a position indicator may take the form of a series of letters and/or numerals, each corresponding to a floor of the structure which isserved by the associated elevator car. As the car moves with respect tothe structure, suitable means are provided for designating theparticular character corresponding to the floor adjacent which theelevator car is positioned. Thus, a pointer which moves synchronouslywith the elevator car may be employed to designate the appropriate.fioor letter or number; or a window may be provided for successivelyexposing indicia representing the position of the elevator carassociated therewith, the indicia being disposed on a member such as adrum which is moved in accordance with movements of the elevator car bymeans of a notching or stepping motor. For illustrative purposes, theinvention will be described in conjunction with the latter type of carposition indicator.

In an elevator system it is also a practice to provide a plurality offloor station units, each operable for registering a call forelevator-service for the associated floor.

For example, in an elevator system, it is a prac- Patented Sept. 10,1963 intending passengers and .to provide a signal for designating theregistration of a floor call for elevator service. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, a separate lamp is associated with eachfloor station push button in elevator systems wherein both an up and adown floor call push button are provided for such floor station;Conveniently, each of the two lamps when energized'may have a distinctcolor, each color thereby denoting the In a typical elevator system, afloor station unit may take the form of a push button station located ateach of the floors served by the elevator car or cars of the system. Inorder to register a call for elevator service, a prospective orintending passenger at one of the floors may operate the push button forsuch, floor. Conveniently, the door station unit may include-an up pushbutton for registering calls for up service and a down push button forregistering calls for down service. i In accordance with the invention,an elevator system is provided with a car position indicator whoseindicia are illuminated when a floor station push button is operated toregister a call for elevator service for the floor associated with theposition indicator and the push button. The indicia may be illuminatedby either an incandescent or a cold cathode gaseous discharge lamp,which isextinguished when the call for service is answered. Suchoperation appreciably extends indicia il luminating lamp life, asopposed to operation wherein a lamp is continuously energized toilluminate the indicia. Desirably, the lamp is located withinithehousing provided for the position indicator.

It will be observed that operation of an illuminating lamp in theforegoing manner may serve a dual purpose: to illuminate the positionindicator indicia in order that they may be more easily observed byprospective or registration of a call for service in a specificdirection.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide improved meansfor indicating the position of a mobile device.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for improving theobservability of the indicia for an elevator car position indicator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an elevator systemhaving an elevator car position indicator and an associated floor pushbutton operable for registering calls for elevator service, wherein theindicia are illuminated in response to the operation of the associatedfloor push button.

It is an additional objectof the invention to provide an elevator systemas defined in the preceding paragraph, wherein the indicia areilluminated by means located within the position indicators housing.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an elevatorsystem as defined in either of the two preceding paragraphs, wherein thesame illuminating means serves both to improve the observability otf thecar position indicators indicia and to provide a signal for designatingthe registration of a floor call for elevator service. I

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a view in front elevation of a push button station andassociated car position indicator embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation, with parts broken away, of the pushbutton station and associated car position indicator illustrated in FIG.1; 1

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation, with parts broken away, of a rotorassembly suitable for the car position indicator of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of amodification of the embodiment of theinvention'illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view with circuits shown in straight-line form ofan elevator system embodying the invention.

Various aspects of the invention are applicable either to an elevatorsystem having a single elevator car or to a system having multipleelevator cars arranged in a bank to serve any desired number of floors.For illustrative purposes, the invention will be described withparticular reference to an elevator system having a bank ations now willbe given.

Apparatus common to the EamesPatent 2,501,320 and to the presentFIG. maybelisted as follows:

' Apparatus Individual to C ar A v S -f Floor call stopping relay. M3;Contacts Olf car running relay. X3 and X4 Cont-acts of down directionprefer- I ence relay. W3 and W4 Contacts of up direction preferencerelay. 7

Direct current buses.

bz'to b6 :8 Contact segments on floor selector. g2 to g7 32 33 Brushesof floor selector.

Apparatus Common to Both Cars 2DR to 7DR Down call-storing relays. ZURto 6UR Up call-storing relays. ZDRN to 7DRN "I Cancellation coils forstoring ZU'RN to 6URN j relays. 2]) to 7D Down floor buttons. 2U to 6UUp floor buttons.

For a complete description of the apparatus set forth in the abovelists, reference may be made to the aforesaid Eames patent. However, tofacilitate an understanding of the invention, a brief resume of typicaloper- Ihe circuits illustrated in detail in FIG. 5 are intended foroperation to register calls for elevator service from the floors of thestructure or building served by the elevator cars. For example, if aprospective passenger at the fourth floor desires to register a call forservice in the up direction, he presses the push button 4U to connectthe up-call-storing relay 4UR across the buses L+3 and L3 Theenergization of the up callstoring relay .4UR results in closure of theholding contacts 4UR1 .to establish a holding circuit around the pushbutton 4U.

The firsttavailable elevator car to approach the fourth floor whilesetfor travel in the up direction stops at the fourth floor to answer thecall for service. For example,

it the elevator car A is set for travel in the up direction and isapproaching the fourth floor, the brush 3-2 engages the contact segment[24 to complete the following stopping circuit:

L+3, 4UR'1, b4, 32, W3, s, L-3

-The energization of the floor call stopping relay S conditions theelevator car A to stop. at the fourth floor.

If the elevator car A stops at the fourth floor, the brush 33 engagesthe contact segment 04 to complete the following cancelling circuit:

L'-|-3, 4on1, 4URN, 04, 3s, W4, M3, L4

The energization of the cancelling coil 4URN resets the up call storingrelay 4UR, and the relay opens. its 1 incandescent filament lamp.

in the down direction. F or example, if the push button 4D is pressed,the down call storing relay 4DR is connected across the buses L+3 andL-3 for energizatiom This relay closes its make contacts 4DR1 toestablish a holding circuit around the push button. The first availableelevator car set for travel in the down direction which approachesthefourth floor is stopped in response to the registered call; Forexample, if the elevator car A is the first available car to reach thefourth floor under these conditions, the following stopping circuit iscompleted: L+3, 4DR1, g4, 42, X3, S, L3

The energization of the cancellation coil resets the down call-storingrelay 4BR, which opens its make contact 4DR1 to de-energize the-relay4DR and the cancelling coil tDRN.

Each of the push buttons has associated therewith a signal device whichpreferably is in the form of a lamp. Each lamp is designated by theletter L preceded by the reference character of the push button withwhich the lamp is associated. For example, the lamp lUL is associatedwith the push :button 4U, and the lamp 4DL is associated with the pushbutton 4D (see also FIG. 2).

Each of the lamps has one terminal connected to that terminal of theassociated push button which is connected to the associated call storingrelay. The remaining terminal of the lamp is connected to the bus L-3.

A similar energizing circuit is associated with each of the lamps foreach of the push buttons.

Although each lamp may be of the low-wattage coldelectrodegaseous-discharge type, preferably it is an Lamps of the former typesometimes are referred to as neon lamps if the gas contained therein isprimarily neon.

If desired, the lamps associated with the push buttons may have distinctcolors. For example, lamps associated with the up push buttons may bedesigned to produce a white color, whereas lamps associated with thedown push buttons may be designed to produce a red color.

It is believed that the operation of the lamps now may be set forth. Letit be assumed that a prospective passenger at the fourth floor pressesthe push button 4U to register a call for service in the up direction.As a result of such pressure of the push button, the up call storing4UR1. It will be noted that the lamp 4UL now is energized through thefollowing circuit:

The energization of the lamp continues until the relay 4UR is reset toopen its contacts 4UR1. Each of the lamps is similarly energized inresponse to operation of its associated push button.

Referring to "FIG. 2, it will be observed that upon the registration offloor calls for elevator service, the lamps 4DL and/ or 4UL serve toilluminate the indicia disposed on the peripheral surface 45A of thedrum 45 of the car "position indicator.

Similarly, the lamps provided for the other car position indicators ofthe system will illuminate the indicia associated therewith upon theregistration of floor calls for elevator service. In addition, it willbe noted that the energized lamps may serve as call registered signals,and if the up and down call lamps have distinct colors, such colors willdenote the registration of a call for service in a specific direction.If dual signal units are provided as aforementioned, each lampconveniently "registering means for said intermediate landing for illumisaid indieia may illuminate the indicia for both of the elevator cars. a

. 11f, however, a separate position indicator is provided for eachcarand if the floor call registering push buttons for each floor are commonto all of the elevator cars of the system, an additional lamp maybe'connected in parallel with each of the lamps 2DL through 7DL'and .2ULthrough 6UL to illuminate, the indioia for each addi-.

tio'nal position indicator at each floor 'upon the "registr ation of afloor call (for elevator service for the associated If desired, upfloor-call registering and floor-call reg: istered signal circuitssimilar to' those described above may be provided for the first floor.Such circuits, how ever, are not here illustrated.

Although the invention has been, described with ref erence to certainspecific embodiments'thereof, numerous modifications falling inventionare possible. I claim as my invention: a 1

1x111 an elevator system, a structure" having a pluwithin the spirit andscope of the 7 rality of landings'including a first terminal landing, a

second terminal landing and an intermediate landing located "between theterminal'landings, an elevator car,

directions relative to the structure to serve the landings, landingfirst call registering means operable from said intermediate landing forregistering a call for elevator service in 'a first of saidtwo'directions, first cancelling means for cancelling 'a call registeredby said landing first call registering means, landing second call,registering means operable from said intermediate landing forregsistering acall for elevator service in the second of said'two'dire'ctions, second cancelling means for cancelling. a callregistered by said landing second callregist-ering means,indicatingmeans disposed at said intermediate landing, said indicatingmeans having indicia for designating the position of the elevator carwith respect to the structure, and, illuminating means responsive to theregistration of ala'nding first call by said landing first call meansmounting the elevator oar for movement in two firstilluminatingmeans'responsive to and indicative of the registration of alandingfirst call by said landing first call registering means for saidintermediate landing for illuminating said indicia solely during theperiod between the initial registration of said landing first call andthe cancellation thereof by-saidfirst cancelling means, and

second illuminating l means responsive to landgindigcatives; 1 of theregistration of a landing second call by said landing second callregistering means for said intermediate landing for illuminating saidindicia solely during the period between the initial registration ofsaid landing second call and the cancellation thereof by said secondcancelling H16 ans 3. In an elevatorsystema structure having .aplurality V of landings including a firstterminal landing; a second 3terminal landing" andan intermediate landing located between theterminal landings, an elevator car, means mounting the elevator car formovement in two directions relative ito thelstructure" to' SEIVfi'lLlIBlandings, landing firstfcall'registering means operable'from saidintermediate landing vfor registering a call for elevator service in afirst of said two directions, first cancelling means for cancelling acall registered by said landingfirst-call registering means, landingsecond call registering means open. able from said intermediate landingfor registering a call lor elevator service in the second of said.twodirections, *second cancelling means for ca'ncellinga callregistered by said landing secondtcall registering means, indicatingmeans disposed atsaid intermediate landing, a housing for saidindicating means, said indicating means having indici'afordesignating'the position of the elevatorcar with resp'ectto thestructure, said housing having an aperture for viewing-the one ofsaidindicia which designates the position of the elevator car at anygiventime, first illuminating means responsive ,to the registration of alanding first call by said landing firstcallregistering means 7 for saidintermediate landing for illuminating said one nati'ng said indiciadnring'the period between the initial tion of said landing second call.I 'a structureihaving a plurality 2. In an elevator system, of landingsincluding a first terminallanding, a second "terminal landing and a'nintermediate landing located between =the terminal "landings,an'elevator oars, means of the regregistering calls for elevatorservicefrom the associatedlanding,firsrmeansdisposed iatsaid associated landing'and'responsiveto a system condition for providing a re-.det'ermine'dvisual indication, and second means respon- 7 mounting theelevator car'for movement in two directions relative to the structure toserve the landings, landing first call registering means operable fromsaid intermediate landing'for registering a call for elevator-service ina first of said two direction, first cancelling meansior cancelling acall. registered by said landing first call-registering means, landingsecond call registering means operable from said intermediate landingfor registering a call for elevator service inthe second of said'twodirections, second cancelling means for cancelling a call registered bysaid landing second call registering means, 1

/ indicating means disposed at said. intermediate landing,

said indicating-means having indicia [for designating the position ofthe elevator ear with respect to the structure,

said-first means solely during cell is registered.

indicium with a first color solely' duri'ng the period between theinitial registration of said landing first call and the cancellationthereo-f by said first cancelling means, and

second illuminating means responsive to the registration" of a landingsecond callby said landing second call r eg- 'istering means for saidintermediate landing for illuminating said one indicium with a secondcolor solely during the periodjbetweenflthe initial registration of saidlanding second call and the cancellation thereof by said secondcancelling means, said first and second illuminating means {beingdisposed within said housing;

of landings, an elevator car, means mounting the elevator car formovement relative to the structure to serve the landings, landing callmeans operable'lrom a landing for sive to the registration of a la'ndingcalbby said landing call means for said associated landing forilluminating the period in which such References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,710,192' Rowntree Apr. 23, 1 9291,819,247 Kinnard Aug. 18, 193 1 1,821,500 Dunn s Sept. 1, 19311,896,784 Norton Feb. '7, 1933 2,303,473' Baum f. ,Dec.1'1, 19422,728,064' Savage Dec. 20, 1955 2,852,756 -Eames Sept. 16, 1958 "4; Inanelevatorsystem, a structure liaving'a pluralityfi

3. IN AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM, A STRUCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LANDINGSINCLUDING A FIRST TERMINAL LANDING, A SECOND TERMINAL LANDING AND ANINTERMEDIATE LANDING LOCATED BETWEEN THE TERMINAL LANDINGS, AN ELEVATORCAR, MEANS MOUNTING THE ELEVATOR CAR FOR MOVEMENT IN TWO DIRECTIONSRELATIVE TO THE STRUCTURE TO SERVE THE LANDINGS, LANDING FIRST CALLREGISTERING MEANS OPERABLE FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE LANDING FORREGISTERING A CALL FOR ELEVATOR SERVICE IN A FIRST OF SAID TWODIRECTIONS, FIRST CANCELLING MEANS FOR CANCELLING A CALL REGISTERED BYSAID LANDING FIRST CALL REGISTERING MEANS, LANDING SECOND CALLREGISTERING MEANS OPERABLE FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE LANDING FORREGISTERING A CALL FOR ELEVATOR SERVICE IN THE SECOND OF SAID TWODIRECTIONS, SECOND CANCELLING MEANS FOR CANCELLING A CALL REGISTERED BYSAID LANDING SECOND CALL REGISTERING MEANS, INDICATING MEANS DISPOSED ATSAID INTERMEDIATE LANDING, A HOUSING FOR SAID INDICATING MEANS, SAIDINDICATING MEANS HAVING INDICIA FOR DESIGNATING THE POSITION OF THEELEVATOR CAR WITH RESPECT TO THE STRUCTURE, SAID HOUSING HAVING ANAPERTURE FOR VIEWING THE ONE OF SAID INDICIA WHICH DESIGNATES THEPOSITION OF THE ELEVATOR CAR AT ANY GIVEN TIME, FIRST ILLUMINATING MEANSRESPONSIVE TO THE REGISTRATION OF A LANDING FIRST CALL BY SAID LANDINGFIRST CALL REGISTERING MEANS FOR SAID INTERMEDIATE LANDING FORILLUMINATING SAID ONE